FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news
ON TELEVISION (WEDNESDAY 8/9/23)
APPLE TV+: Strange Planet (Premiere)
CBS: Superfan (Premiere) at 9pm
DISNEY+: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Premiere)
HULU: Moving (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (Premiere)
NBC: LA Fire & Rescue (Finale) at 8pm
PBS: Human Footprint (Finale) at 9pm
“We kind of like our chances in this chaotic environment,” said Perry Sook, CEO of Nexstar Media Group, about the impact of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes on The CW. “When others are afraid, we tend to take some big swings.” Speaking during the company’s quarterly earnings call, Sook said that while the debuts of four scripted shows slated for fall will have to be postponed, the network is well-positioned with acquired titles produced before the strike, along with “high-profile and noisy reality shows, which will bring attention to the network.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
The CW, which Nextstar acquired in October 22, posted a $78 million loss for the quarter, better than its $83 million loss in 1Q23. “To drive the growth of the network we are making, quote, ‘Moneyball’-inspired investments in content that matters to the broadcast viewer, including live sports, in order to grow our distribution and advertising revenues,” said Sook. “In less than one year of ownership, we’ve already secured the rights to a variety of sports properties.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
David Noriega has joined NBC News and MSNBC as a correspondent. Previously, Noriega covered issues including criminal justice, migration, the fentanyl crisis, mass shootings, and hosted “Border to Border” for Vice News.
(Source: Cynopsis)
KKR is acquiring Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global for $1.62 billion, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal offers Paramount Global “additional financial flexibility and greater ability to create long-term value for shareholders, while also delivering our balance sheet,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO of Paramount Global.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Walmart it is adding third-party advertising to its check-out screens, allowing brands to choose specific regions or stores to promote their wares. “When you think about our store, our store footprint and the percentage of Americans that we reach through our stores, we can deliver Super Bowl-sized audiences every week,” said Ryan Mayward, SVP, Retail Media for Walmart, on CNBC.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The WGA East and the Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700 have succeeded in organizing producers and editorial employees at Story Syndicate (“Harry and Meghan”). The American Arbitration Association verified that each guild had the support of a majority of Story Syndicate employees in their jurisdictions, and Story Syndicate has agreed to voluntarily recognize the unions as their collective bargaining representatives. “The bargaining unit employees at Story Syndicate have created hit nonfiction series for Netflix, HBO and many other networks, and together we will negotiate a contract that addresses their real concerns and aspirations,” said Lowell Peterson, executive director of the WGA East. “They join many other nonfiction TV creators who recognize the power of collective bargaining and the WGAE to improve standards so people can build sustainable careers doing the work they care about.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
The DGA has taken action to assist members who lose medical coverage because of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. “I am proud to announce that the DGA-Producers Pension & Health Plans Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the creation of a critically important free major medical plan for Health Plan participants and their eligible dependents who have been financially impacted by the work stoppage,” said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter. “This innovative effort by the Plans’ trustees will help Plan participants facing financial hardship retain basic health coverage during this difficult time.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Multiplatform content company Showdog Studio has been formed by producers John Attard and David “Doc” Abbott. The company will focus on producing content for linear TV, streaming services, theatrical films, home entertainment and more. Robert Harris has joined Showdog as executive producer. Said Attard, “We want to create stories of hope along the lines of the stories I’ve enjoyed watching over the years – many of which were deftly shepherded by Robert’s steady hand.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
Season two of “The Pact” launches Thursday, August 31 on Sundance Now and AMC+. Rakie Ayola (“Black Mirror”), who appeared in the first season of the anthology series, plays a new role this time around, as a social worker trying to move on after a tragic death.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Also returning for a second season is HGTV’s “Tough Love with Hilary Farr,” on Monday, September 4 at 9p. In the premiere episode, interior designer Farr will help a blended family in Raleigh, North Carolina, turn his bachelor pad into their forever home.
(Source: Cynopsis)
New seasons of “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” and “Welcome to Plathville” kick off Tuesday, September 5 at 9p and 10p, respectively, on TLC.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“LEGO Princess: The Castle Quest” premieres Friday, August 18 on Disney+, just ahead of Disney’s World Princess Week (August 20-26).
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Unique Whips: Special Edition” and companion series “Unique Autosports” begin streaming on Speedvision Tuesday, August 15 at 8p. Will Castro, car customizer to hip-hop legends and pro athletes, stars.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Irony alert: Zoom is requiring employees to head back to the office. “We believe that a structured hybrid approach — meaning employees that live near an office need to be on site two days a week to interact with their teams — is most effective for Zoom,” said Colleen Rodriguez, Zoom’s head of global PR. The plan will roll out in August and September. “We’ll continue to leverage the entire Zoom platform to keep our employees and dispersed teams connected and working efficiently,” added Rodriguez. Zoom follows tech companies Google, Apple and X in shepherding workers back to the office.
(Source: Cynopsis)
X is working to lure back advertisers with expanded advertisingcapabilities focused on brand safety. In a blog post, the company formerly known as Twitter said the expansion will give a “new level of control” to advertisers, expanding pre-bid brand safety and suitability, introducing sensitivity settings and “bolstering blocklists for advertisers.”
(Source: Cynopsis)
WeAre8, a “free from hate” social media app focused on sustainability,is rolling out in the US. “Two billion of us are living in a world of social technology that connects us, but also isolates us, fuels the mental health crisis and climate crisis and undermines democracy at a time when people and society need to come together to support each other and our precious planet,” said Sue Fennessy, founder of Standard Media Index and developer of the app. “Society and our planet need technology that serves us and I am excited for the United States being ‘united’ in a new social home that is built on community, purpose and love.” The app has already been released in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
(Source: Cynopsis)
“Little Richard: I Am Everything” has its TV premiere Monday, September 4 at 9p on CNN. The film tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The Make Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild will hold its 11 annual MUAHS Awards on Saturday, February 11 at the Beverly Hilton. Submissions open for TV and films on October 30.
(Source: Cynopsis)
AEW’s 200th episode of Dynamite on TBS was cable’s #1 telecast among A18-34, M18-49 and M25-54. The live event reached 2.5 million total viewers and garnered a 1.03 Live+3 rating among A25-54, a 14% increase over the prior week and 0.80 rating among A18-49, up 11%.
(Source: Cynopsis)
Sunday’s season two premiere of HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers” drew 629,000 total viewers across linear and Max. The series premiere last year delivered 901,000 viewers.
(Source: Cynopsis)
The US women’s soccer team’s loss to Sweden early Sunday morning delivered 2.515 million viewers on Fox, peaking at 4.072 million.
(Source: Cynopsis)
POWERBALL
Today’s Jackpot is $170 million.
Powerball is played in 43 states.
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